Reflections
by boring the goose
Summary: A not so brief synopsis of the life of Didyme Volturi. "Stripped of her human life, she was forced into a world that her open-eyed innocence could not comprehend. One of rivalries and turmoil. Of fighting and anger. Of blood."


_**Reflections**_

_I don't know why, but I think I obsessed with the Volturi right now. Here's a little piece I wrote. There aren't any names, but it should be fairly obvious who's who._

_The Volturi aren't mine._

She had always been a hopeless romantic.

Even when she was little, she always had that dream, of a prince coming to kiss her and sweep her away into the sunset. She was very detailed in it too. She knew everything about said prince, including his name. She knew his hair color, the shape of his eyes, the sound of his laugh when she said something particularly amusing…she was absolutely certain that she would meet him one day. It was only a matter of time for her.

Her brother's plans had not matched hers.

She had never gotten her fairytale ending, her ride into the sunset. Stripped of her human life, she was forced into a world that her open-eyed innocence could not comprehend. One of rivalries and turmoil. Of fighting and anger.

Of blood.

So much blood; so much that it stained her pretty little fingers and turned her fabulous dresses into garments of slaughter. Enough that it aroused a self loathing she had never thought possible. She hated what she had become, what her brother had made her. She wanted her old life back, or, as that was not possible, to be torn up and burned and forgotten by all. For in the end, who wants to be remembered as a killer?

Of course, her brother was no help. While he had taken the time to change his sister and train her in combat, her brother had little time to deal with the moral repercussions. Many centuries later, he would regret spending such little time with his sister. He would regret that he had been forced to do what he had, because he hadn't taken a bit more time working at his sister's obedience. Later he would understand, and regret what he had done to his beloved sibling.

But not yet.

Years passed. Decades even, though she was too miserable at counting to tell. Eventually, her brother _had_ made his mark, and they stopped travelling. Though it did do something to ease her guilt, the girl was no happier with the new arrangement. Now, instead of murdering tactfully, she was made to kill in cold blood. Now, instead of fighting her brother's enemies, she was made to greet them cordially, in formal wear that was uncomfortable even for an immortal. Now she had to watch, time and time again, as men fell in love with her, instead of killing them with the swipe of her hand. Though her new life involved less action on her part, it did nothing to ease her depression.

She had no reprieve in the way of romance, either. As his influence grew, her brother had forbidden her to choose a mate. She understood, to an extent, why he did it. She was his little sister, and he didn't want someone to take advantage of her. By either her naivety, or her good nature, she overlooked his more prominent motive. His sister could prove to be the negotiating factor in a dire situation. She was beautiful, intelligent, kind… One would be a fool not to notice it. If his plans were to fail, he could easily give her over as a sort of compensation. And if his plans were to succeed, he could use her to extend his supremacy. He couldn't have her making connections with the wrong people, after all.

In her despondent state of mind, she had no problem with this sudden demand. She had no interest in the men her brother brought to court, even if they showed an interest in her. With her mind free of the intrigue of flirtation, she was able to see how silly the whole idea had been. Without telling her brother, she took a vow of chastity, to keep her frivolous mind at bay. But then she had met him.

He was dark and fascinating; if a little less outgoing than the husband she had created in her head. He was beautiful, like most of their kind, but not in the way she had imagined her prince would be. He danced with her as often as possible, and waited for her at the bottom of the stair. Though he was smart, he was not like her brother in ideals. He did not wish for military gain, only to live peacefully. His sullen wit was commendable; far favorable to the immaturity manifested in so many immortals. He was not forward in his courting. More than anything, he was mysterious when talking to her. While he was a fair debater, he did not make his opinions obvious. He remained level-headed at all times, except, it seemed, when he was looking at her. It was only then that he lost control of his mask and indisputable contentment became visible.

He was unlike anyone she had ever met, and she received his advances without question. But still, she was hesitant.

While he admitted his feelings for her immediately, she was not so quick to give her heart away. Men had tried to mislead her before. The same men that loved their mates so passionately each night tried to kiss her behind the closed doors of her brother's castle. For what she knew, he could be one of them. And though she couldn't see him doing such a thing to her, she avowed respect for him long before she loved him.

Meanwhile, her brother was still making his advances. He had married in the human tradition, and was beginning to assemble the earliest candidates for his infamous guard. He had also gained a partner, one almost twice as bloodthirsty as he was. He had caused the old order to fall, making the world's immortals wary of the great new power. The world was changing. And she could do nothing but watch.

As time passed, her suitor's interest seemed to intensify. He began to show up even earlier at her door, and he saved her the honor of every dance. He was there always; addicted to her very presence. She tried to tell herself that it was to be expected, but, deep down, she knew that this was not some strange or unnatural obsession. He, unlike the men who had tried to take advantage of her before, was honest about how he felt for her. He really wanted to be with her forever.

At first she thought that this would change nothing. Her brother still withheld the right for her to marry, and she still had her own pledge to celibacy to contend with. He loved her, but there was more to the equation than their love.

Weeks after this revelation, she was forced to open her eyes. Her prince wasn't coming; but in the end, it wasn't a prince she wanted. Despite her brother' wishes, she had to take this small part of her life back under her control. So, falling back into her fairy tale childhood, she went after him. And for once, since her death so many years ago, she felt that hers was a life worth living.

Though her mate had reservations about trusting her brother, they remained in the fortress. She didn't understand his misgivings, but then, there was much she didn't understand, due to ignorance more than anything else. Eventually they did hold an audience with her brother, who, in turn, gave them his blessing. Being a great collector of talents, he was nothing short of delighted when he learned of her mate's powers. If he disapproved of the pairing, he hid it very well.

Needless to say, they took advantage of her brother's kindness, living as if they were in the most devoted of marriages.

Their life together was simple. In the mornings, they would walk around the towers. He would compare her beauty to the sunrise, and she would laugh and call him a biased flatterer. He wouldn't argue otherwise. At noontime, they would discuss her brother's plans of domination in hushed tones. Neither wanted him to know they thought his ideas ridiculous. Despite his benevolent nature, her brother could be quite violent at times. They didn't want give him a reason to be. In the evenings, they would take their leave and whisper to each other of their love. They were less subtle than the other pairs in this way, as they often didn't wait to reach the privacy of their rooms before they began baiting each other. Their nights were spent wrapped in the other's arms, and all through this, she kept her fingers twined firmly with his.

Soon, almost too soon, the towers that used to be so massive seemed to cave in on her. The walks she paced everyday felt claustrophobic. Her brother's watchful eye, which was at one time comforting, became uncomfortable. It was too small, too limited for the endless romance they were just beginning to discover. She wanted the open air, where she wouldn't have to hide from the world. She wanted a place where they could accept their other natures without worrying about slaughtering the entire city. She told these things to her mate, and, in theory, he agreed. He was not willing to bring it up, though, fearing her brother's reaction.

Because of this, it was she, and not her mate, who asked her brother for this freedom.

They loved each other more than her brother could possibly imagine. He didn't understand what they could when they said they wanted to go off on their own. He provided everything for them, in the end. What could they possibly want? This reasoning caused him to disregard his sister's query at first. However, when they began to prepare for the journey, he knew there was no mistake. His sister kept thanking him, promising to visit every couple of years. He did not hear her. His life, his conquest, was much more important than the love they shared. Or so her brother thought. Unfortunately, her brother tended to act on his notions.

She had to die.

It was to be quick and short, not at all cruel. He still harbored some love for his sister, after all, though she had planned to shamelessly abandon him in his time of need. No, she wouldn't feel a thing. Her mate was a different story entirely. He, her brother knew very well, would take the death of his mate very hard. The brother considered killing him too, out of pity, but decided against it. Her mate's powers were just too useful to dispose of so lightly.

Her brother was quite right in his assumption.

The beautiful girl's mate turned his back on everything their life had to offer, never taking on the cynical gleam his eyes once held. Her mate no longer lived. He barely existed. It was the first time, in all living memory, that an immortal had wanted to be put to death. It was the first time they encountered a right they weren't allowed.

Yes, she had always loved romance. And everyone knew that the most romantic stories ended in tragedy.


End file.
